Bella's World
by allucinatoris
Summary: Bella is a vampire-older than carlisle.edward is the only one human,he finds himself enrolled in an art history class junior year and prepares to be bored, but the new girl in school look's oddly familiar
1. Prologue

**Hey, this chapter is just a prologue and the full summary.**

**Basically Christina's World is a painting by Andrew Wyeth finished in the 1940s of a girl named Christina Olson who was paralyzed from the waist down by polio. In this fanfiction I am changing it a little so that Bella was given the nickname of Christina by Wyeth as a joke because she hated her full name. It also took place before Carlisle was turned for my own purposes. Also**

**I don't own anything Twilight related and I am making up most of the stuff about the painting…**

**Prologue – How It Started**

BPOV - during the Middle Ages

Fire… I had to be on fire. That had to be the only explanation. Pain flared along every nerve, every vertebrae, … Then though it seemed impossible the pain intensified as the legs that had been deadened for ten long years of crippled life and crawling around my house to escape the confines of my bed, flared into life.

My jaw was clamped shut; I concentrated on breathing and tried to remember what had possibly happened. All I could see was red.

The red slowly converged until it was two evenly spaced circles. A familiar shape yet it alluded me… until suddenly I got it, eyes! A slew of memories washed over me triggered by the eyes.

I remembered my godfather Andrew, known to the rest of England as Mr. Wyeth the brilliant painter, teaching me his craft when I was only five and teasingly giving me the nickname Christina when I complained about being called Isabella. I remembered my mother and father laughing with me, my awful disease and crippled life afterwards. Finally I remembered the pale, red eyed man who had come across me sitting in the field by myself. He told me I smelled too good to pass up. Then he bit me causing the fire.

After my life finished flashing before my eyes, the pain continued but pulsed sluggishly. The fires were receding almost too slowly to be noticed. I concentrated on my racing heartbeat and even breaths. Gradually the heart beat slowed. As it beat slower and slower my breaths grew deeper and deeper until my heart gave a shuddering beat and halted. That last thump echoed in my mind, louder than it should have.

I am dead.

So I opened my eyes.


	2. Chapter 1

Okay thank to those of you who have reviewed etc. I was going to post this chapter yesterday but as it was my birthday my parents decided to take me out to dinner and have cake and stuff so any way

**I don't own anything recognizable as twilight etc etc etc and so forth**

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Present

BPOV

It seems like ever since I've been changed all I've been doing was running. I ran from snake-eyed Aro awaiting my change and from his "gift" of fresh human. Oh yummy…note the sarcasm. I'm proud to say that I have never spilled one ounce of human blood in all my roughly 800 years. When you're that old you tend not to keep track.

I ran from my homes when people became suspicious. I even ran away from my only friend Carlisle Cullen when he was going to go live with the Volturri. Carlisle wanted me to join him but I knew that all Aro wants me for, is my shielding gift.

_At least I run in style now._ The thought floated through my head and I grin at the luxurious interior of my car. It's a burnt orange firebird; one of the late models so the contours were sleeker than the clunky ones of the earlier generations. I had of course made some alterations so it could handle my driving but I love this car.

For the first time I feel like I'm no longer running. I was looking for a new place to settle after leaving northern Russia and I heard a rumor that Carlisle had left the Volturri and formed a coven of his own that was currently residing in the small rainy town of Forks, Washington. I had to at least check it out. If there was a chance that I could run with my old friend again I was going to take it.

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EPOV

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

My hand lazily swatted the alarm clock. I didn't want to get up. Today is the first day of the new semester which meant the first day of art history. How I got put in that class I had no idea but Satan's grip was tight. I spent the first semester of school trying to get it switched to another music class, an independent study, a study hall, anything… yet here I am getting up to go to art history. Yippee

Dragging my feet in the morning made me late so I sped to school; although I didn't go too crazy because it's Forks. Rain plus high speeds equals hydroplaning and possibly crashing and dying. I pulled in later than usual. The Cullens had actually arrived before me. Today they had taken Rosalie's incredible red convertible. I do prefer my Volvo but it is a nice car. The time seemed to crawl in History, Spanish, and Math. Even Music Theory, my favorite class, was dull. Then came the torturous Art History class. Our teacher Mr. Hancock did the usual syllabus, course expectations crap and decided to end our very first class by examining and discussing his very favorite piece. Oh Joy!

It was a piece called Christina's World, painted in the Middle Ages. Historians approximated that it was painted around 1250 by the most famous painter of the time Andrew Wyeth. It was kinda boring. A girl sitting in a field looking at a house. All you could see of her was her back and profile.

"Now what are your first impressions of this piece?" inquired Mr. Hancock.

Not one person raised their hand. "Hmmm with this level of enthusiasm how am I supposed to choose a lucky individual to speak?" he asked mockingly. At least he has a good grip on sarcasm. "I think I shall choose…" Maybe this class wouldn't be too bad, as long as he didn't pick-

"Mr. Masen. Why don't you tell us your thoughts on this painting."

Crap. I guess I could just be frank with him. "I don't know. I think it's kind of boring. It's a girl sitting in a brown, dead field looking at a house." Okay so I didn't have to be _so_ blunt but he doesn't look mad… In fact Mr. Hancock was smiling.

"So how many of you feel the same way as Edward?"

Practically every hand was in the air now hanging sort of lifelessly.

"Perhaps you will feel differently about this when you understand its significance. This girl, Christina, was Andrew Wyeth's goddaughter. She disappeared when she was seventeen years old while she was sitting in the fields during the end of autumn. When she was young, people don't know exactly what age; she was stricken with a disease. We believe the disease was an early form of polio, but whatever the disease, she was left paralyzed from the waist down. Now, some professionals have actually found some old diaries and things of her and her family. They talk about how she hated being a burden on her family, because crippled, as she was no man of the time would marry her because she couldn't have children let alone run the household and women had no power without a husband. She could only travel out of her room with assistance or by crawling. Basically what this painting is showing is the limitations of how far she could go. This literally is her whole world. This painting was created by Wyeth as a memorial after she disappeared." He paused for a moment. "Does anyone have any different opinions now?"

While no one answered, it was quite obvious through the stunned air in the room that we didn't find it quite so dull. I know my mind was reeling just thinking of how awful it would be to have to crawl everywhere.

Mr. Hancock smiled, "As we have run out of time, I'd like everyone to write a quick little paragraph about their initial reaction, and how it changed due to the knowledge of the background for home work."

The bell rang soon after and we all wandered to lunch. I sat at my normal table with my usual crowd: Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Lauren Mallory, Tyler… they were okay I guess but I didn't really consider them close friends. All they care about is dating, and dances, and probably the norm for juniors in high school, but nonetheless I found their incessant chatter about meaningless and trivial things annoying and shallow; their thinly veiled attempts at flirting were just as bad. Luckily all the girls had given up on me by the end of last year. I don't know if they just got tired of it or if they finally accepted that I don't want a girl friend.

I was still contemplating Christina's World when suddenly Jessica startled me out of my reverie.

"Oh My God it's only been ten minutes, where are all the Cullens going?"

At that point we all noticed Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper hurriedly throwing their untouched plates away and making quickly for the exit. They all seemed to be whispering furiously under their breath because we couldn't hear what they said.

Other than that brief interruption, lunch went as usual, and I went to Biology, and PE before making my way home. Normally all the Cullens are in my PE class. Today none of them were. As I exited the building I noticed, their car was no where to be seen.

_Perhaps they had some sort of family emergency._

II got into my Volvo and turned on the mix CD I made of all my favorite classical songs. All problems were driven out of my head by Debussy, Pachelbel, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and the like.

At home I turned on my laptop. I wanted to do a little more research on Christina's World before I wrote by assignment. Maybe this class wouldn't be as awful as I had expected.

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Okay so there's the first chapter. It may help to actually look up the painting on wikipedia or something if you are confused. I did change it so that Bella's profile is in the picture but other than that it is the same. I used the real story for the basis of mine. Also I named the teacher after my middle school art teacher who actually introduced my to Christina's World.

**Any comments, questions, or suggestions…**

**You know what to do, just push the little green button and review!!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Okay so I was just fiddling around with my brand new laptop trying to figure out how to use it and now I can try to keep this thing going.**

**BTW: although I may own a new laptop, several brand new shirts, and a fantastic collection of books, Idon't own Stephanie Meyer's property etc. **

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APOV

I spend most school days with my visions focused on Jasper. I know how hard he tries and how well he has been doing lately, but I can't help worrying. I know how awful he would feel should he lose control and force us to uproot us from our lives here prematurely.

I was so focused on his future that I blocked out all others unless they were major problems.

The day had been going smoothly and rather like every other one from these past few years in forks, but at lunch my vision suddenly was covered with the black as a powerful vision burst through my filters. Then green and a stripe of orange… a burnt orange firebird thundering down a highway surrounded by trees. It took the roads to our house and a gorgeous brunette vampire got out as the five of us arrived home from school. When Carlisle came to the door her serious face transformed into a dazzling smile, as his became one of shock and surprise. Then they ran and embraced.

As the cafeteria came into focus, I saw three anxious faces staring at me with what one might describe as bated breath in someone other than vampire. Jasper, Rose, and Emmett weren't breathing.

Too quietly for the noisy teenagers to hear I told them, "We need to leave now. Jasper, go tell the office that we have just gotten word that someone close to our family has passed away. Everyone get anything you need and meet me in the car."

Rose and Emmett met me at Rose's red convertible and waited for Jasper as I started to dial Carlisle's work number.

"Alice?" Carlisle seemed rather confused but I gave him the simple explanation that would also inform the others as to why we needed to leave.

"I just had a vision of a visitor coming, whom I did not recognize, just as we get home from Jasper informing the office we have had someone close to us die and we need to leave school early. In my vision you were already home and waiting."

"I'll be home in two minutes." Then the line disconnected.

In just a few moments Jasper came into view walking a little faster than he might have on a normal day.

We got into the car and Rose pressed the petal to the floorboards and Jasper smiled at me. "So, a visitor."

"Yep."

JPOV

We reached our beautiful white home just in time to see the brunette stranger emerge from her firebird. I could feel the envy pouring of Rosalie when she got a good look at that car. The rest happened just as Alice had seen and related to us on the ride home. Carlisle emerged from our house, and after a miniscule moment of shock, his undiluted happiness merged with the female vampire's to create an atmosphere so positively charged that I couldn't hold back the smallest of smiles.

Esme stepped out from the house as they broke from their embrace and joined the four of us as we walked towards the newcomer. She was 5"4', about 17 years old, had long dark brown hair with bits of red highlighted through it; her simple jeans and gray Beatles t-shirt were well worn, but they fit her as well as her black converse. Her eyes were the same warm golden shade as our own. She assessed us as we did her.

Rosalie being Rosalie started a staring contest with her which we were all a bit surprised when the stranger won. Carlisle's arm remained draped about her shoulder in a fatherly fashion and smiled at us. "Everyone, this is Bella. She is one of my oldest friends. Bella, this is my family." He pointed us out as he introduced us. "My wife, Esme. Jasper, and his wife Alice. Rosalie and her husband Emmett."

Esme broke the brief uncomfortable silence with her standard warm and open welcome, "Perhaps we can all go inside and hear a bit more of your story, Bella."

"That sounds great. Thank you Esme." She smiled brightly as her bell-like voice tinkled out her reply, and we all went inside and sat in the living room looking at Bella.

She looked around at us and took a deep breath.

BPOV

I couldn't help taking a deep breath before launching into my long and twisted life. Everyone looked at me though, so I began. "I am very old…" I stopped "Jasper you can stop that I'm not that nervous." Everyone but Carlisle looked shocked but I smiled and said, "I've been around for long enough to be able to recognize a seer sitting next to me. I need to be on fire to miss an empath screwing with my emotions." Everyone exchanged a look and a started again.

"I don't know if any of you have heard of the famous medieval painter Andrew Wyeth,"

And the big one, Emmett interrupted excitedly, "Wait I know this one! He was most famous for his painting called Christina's World, of his crippled goddaughter who disappeared."

"I learned it in an Art history class in college two moves ago." He said smugly.

Rosalie, the fierce blonde smacked him across the back of the head and warned him sternly to not interrupt.

I got back to my story when Rosalie turned back to me. "Well, Uncle Andrew gave me the nickname Christina when I was five years old because I was complaining about the name Isabella. I hated it then and, come to think of it, I still do. Anyway, I was crippled because of an undiagnosed and incurable disease known today as polio. At least, it was unknown then because most people in the town though I was either possessed by demons or paying for some sort of slight to God (or the gods, whatever their beliefs happened to be) somewhere in my family's history. I knew that my future wasn't going to be particularly pleasant, as those crippled as I was were unable to be married off which were all women were considered good for in those days. I spent most of my time either being taught to paint by Uncle Andrew or daydreaming in the fields. Aro stumbled upon me one day when I had dragged myself to the furthest field from our house. He had intended to feed from me but he was interrupted by his confusion when his touch had not resulted in access to my mind.

"He took me into the woods and watched over me while I turned. When I was done, he explained everything. I am a shield. I like privacy. I always have. My mind protected itself with a shield. So powers such as Aro's, Jane's, and Alec's have no power over me."

I could feel everyone's shock as I dropped this gem of information but I struggled on.

" I can extend it if I wish to cover more people. Aro wanted me to join with him, but I didn't want to be a human killing monster. I ran from him and evaded him and his coven for decades, and proved to them that I could survive on animals. I lived by traveling from place to place, learning as much as I could: reading, writing, languages, fighting styles, medicine and healing, music, anything that someone would teach me. Many times I had to disguise myself as a man in order to learn what the cultures of the world could teach me."

"Somewhere between 300 and 400 years ago, I was in London. I hid while a group of misguided zealots, who to my surprise, had actually found a true vampire coven attempted to rid the earth of their presence. After it was over, I left my hiding place and went through the bodies left behind, destroying evidence of the paranormal before anything could draw the Volturi's eye, for I didn't wish to see them anytime soon."

"As I was finishing up, I noticed a human who hadn't been killed by his injuries. I carried a semi-conscious Carlisle out to where he couldn't be found and waited with him while the change took him. When he woke up he was appalled at what he had become and though I explained to him my diet, he didn't seem to understand that nothing could undo what had been done. So I watched and waited while he attempted to put an end to himself and let him discover that he could survive without human death in the same way I had. When he gave up with his grand ideas of suicide for the greater good, we started to travel together. We were companions. He posed as my father, traveling in order to learn more of medicine.

"I left him and went my own way when he accepted a place with the Volturi, however briefly that might have been. I refused to go anywhere near that place. So I have been traveling on my own ever since, until I met a couple the Denali coven. When I discovered Carlisle was living so close by I had to come and see him."

After a pause I continued with my foolish request eyes on the floor, "I was wondering if I could join this family that you have made for yourself here."

I was somewhat surprised when the very small body of Alice suddenly collided with me and knocked me over with her hug.

"Oooh yay!" she yelled "I get a sister to dress. You, me, and Rose are going to have the best time shopping I can tell already."

Carlisle and Esme smiled and said, "Of course you can stay. We just need to think of how you are going to be introduced to the rest of the school in two days. We'll take those days to gather the legal papers and prepare your room." And Alice added, "We also need to prepare her wardrobe."

I however informed her that I had seniority as I was about 800 years old and she wasn't even 100 yet so I would have some say in what I wore. She pouted but recovered swiftly and said happily, "I can buy clothes for you anyway."

So we decided that the family friend of the Cullen's that had passed away had left their daughter under the guardianship of Carlisle and Esme.

Then Alice could no longer be prevented. She attacked several stores with her credit card far enough away that she could not be recognized. While Alice went on rampage dragging poor Jasper with her, Esme started on my room, mostly in shades of blue, and I talked cars with Rose and Emmett.

The night before I started high school, I ignored suggestive sounds coming from the rest of the house while I played the beautiful piano Esme put in my room and painted a new picture of my old farmhouse. I didn't want to forget it. I wondered what I tomorrow would bring and smiled. I wasn't alone.

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**Okay so I didn't include the whole describing everyone and telling everyone's story's besides Bella's because we all know them by now and I wrote it at about 3 in the morning. I was just too lazy to bother. Basically when they were discussing their story and getting to know each other better they told. Also I had jasper's pov because he was all military so I thought he would be a good person, because he would automatically try to categorize newcomers and make sure they weren't a threat. Please review! **

**Thank you for reading it.**


	4. What's going on

Hi. So I'm sure you noticed that I haven't updated this for quite some time.

I originally wrote this fanfic because I liked the wide range of characters an author was given to work with, but I don't feel the urge to write this anymore. I always hate it when you read someone's story and wait for the updates that never come so I just thought I would let anyone who may have read this that I am not continuing it.

On this not continuing note, if anyone wishes to take my idea and finish it, feel free to. Let me know; I'd love to read it.


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